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Friday, April 15, 2016

Carnegie Museum to host reception for Science Fair winners, Natural History Seminar, new exhibit on local recycling efforts

Poster for Carnegie Museum Apr. 16 reception for Western UP Science Fair winners courtesy Carnegie Museum.

HOUGHTON -- The Carnegie Museum in Houghton has announced two coming events and a new exhibit.

Award-Winning Science Fair Projects Apr. 16

The Carnegie Museum will host a reception for student-scientists -- winners of the 2016 Western UP Science Fair -- from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 16. The reception will include refreshments and family science activities.

Natural History Seminar Apr. 19: Lake Superior's Legacy Brook Trout

Poster for Carnegie Museum Natural History Seminar on Lake Superior's Legacy Brook Trout Apr. 19 featuring Michigan Tech Professor of Biological Sciences Casey Huckins. (Poster courtesy Carnegie Museum)

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 19, Michigan Tech Professor of Biological Sciences Casey Huckins will present "Natural History and Conservation of Coasters -- Lake Superior's Legacy Brook Trout at the Carnegie Museum, part of the Carnegie's 2015-2016 Natural History Seminar Series. Refreshments and introductions at 6:30 p.m. will precede the talk.

Lake Superior was once known for the remarkable trout that swam the coastal waters and attracted anglers and recreationists. These trout were a migratory form of brook trout (called coasters) that depended on tributaries around the basin for spawning. By the early 1900s overharvest and the likely effects of watershed degradation and introduced species reduced these once common fish to scattered populations that now face new threats. This talk will cover the history and status of coasters and introduce the science, restoration, and management now being done to help them.

April's Natural History seminar is sponsored by Peterlin Distributing and Pisani Company, Inc.

New Exhibit Apr. 19 - May 5: Copper Country Recycling Initiative

 
Visit the Carnegie Museum's new exhibit and learn about local efforts to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Carnegie Museum events and exhibits are free and open to the public.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Rozsa Center to host 17th Annual Don Keranen Memorial Jazz Concert Apr. 15

Michigan Tech jazz ensembles at the Rozsa. (Photo © Defined Visuals and courtesy Michigan Tech University)

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech Jazz Studies Program Director Mike Irish and the Michigan Tech Jazz ensembles will present the 17th Annual Don Keranen Memorial Jazz Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Apr. 15, at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. With a wide variety of jazz to suit almost every palette, the Keranen legacy is very much in evidence in both the Research and Development Big Band and in the Jazz Lab Band. Don was always at the cutting edge of incorporating new and interesting jazz arrangements in his concert programs.

The R and D Big Band will perform Little Sunflower with the addition of interesting sound effects and a woodwind quintet. The Jazz Lab Band will feature vocalists Kattie Riutta and Kevin Rocheleau singing Used To Rule The World, and Diggin’ On James Brown, respectively. 

Both tradition AND innovation were important to Don’s view of education. The Jazz Lab Band will perform a classic composition from the library of the Buddy Rich Big Band titled Groovin’ Hard, written by Don Menza. In a more contemporary style, the R and D Band will funk-out on the Tower of Power classic, Soul Vaccination.

The jazz groups have been very active this year. Besides campus concerts in the Rozsa, the R and D Big Band traveled to the Calumet Theater for a headline concert in March. The Jazz Lab Band performed a Midwest tour in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan in early January.  Both jazz combos, JazTec and Momentum have been actively gigging in the area, and along with the Jazz Lab Band will be competing in the 49th Annual Eau Claire Jazz Festival in Eau Claire, Wis., on Friday, April 22.

In 2003, Jay Keranen developed an endowed award program in his father's name. Two $500 amounts are awarded for 1) Outstanding Jazz Musician, and 2) The Most Improved Jazz Musician, respectively. This year's recipients will be announced during this Friday's concert. Michigan Tech is indebted to Don Keranen for his great contributions to music and jazz and to Jay and the Keranen family for their continuing generous support of jazz. There is something here for everyone! So, sit back and relax and enjoy the journey!

Tickets for the Don Keranen Memorial Jazz Concert are on sale now: $13 for adults, $5 for youth, and no charge for Michigan Tech students with the Experience Tech fee. Tickets are available by phone at (906) 487-2073, online at Rozsa.mtu.edu, in person at the Central Ticketing Office in the Student Development Complex, or at the Rozsa Box Office the evening of the performance. Please note the Rozsa Box Office only opens two hours prior to performances.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Free local screening of Naomi Klein film Apr. 13, Citizens' Climate Lobby workshop Apr. 16 to offer info on climate issues

This Changes Everything, a film based on climate author Naomi Klein's book of the same title, will be shown at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at the Orpheum Theater in Hancock. (Poster image courtesy Anne Newcombe)

HANCOCK, HOUGHTON -- Two free community events concerning climate issues will be offered this week in Hancock and Houghton.

The Orpheum Theater in Hancock will host a free Community Screening of Naomi Klein's This Changes Everything at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 13. A brief community conversation will follow the film. This film is co-sponsored by Transition Marquette, Transition Keweenaw, and the Green Film Series.

This film, by Avi Lewis, is narrated and inspired by the book of the same title by Naomi Klein, who states the following in that book:

“Can I be honest with you? I’ve always kind of hated films about climate change.

"What is it about those vanishing glaciers and desperate polar bears that makes me want to click away? Is it really possible to be bored by the end of the world? It’s not that I don’t care what happens to polar bears. It’s just that we’re told that the cause isn’t out there, that it’s in us, it’s human nature. We’re innately greedy and short-sighted. And if that’s true, there is no hope. But when I finally stopped looking away, traveled into the heart of the crisis, met people on the front lines, I discovered so much of what I thought I knew was wrong. And I began to wonder: what if human nature isn’t the problem? What if even greenhouse gases aren’t the problem? What if the real problem is a story, one we’ve been telling ourselves for 400 years.

"I was in a stately home in the English countryside that looked an awful lot like Downton Abbey. It was an invitation-only meeting hosted by the world’s oldest scientific organization, the Royal Society. Instead of ordering around the servants, the people here were trying to order around the sun. I mean the sun, in the sky. They were discussing a plan to spray chemicals into the stratosphere to turn down the temperature for planet earth."

Shirley Galbraith of Houghton (in orange vest, to left of "No Tar Sands" sign) holds hands with Canadian journalist Naomi Klein during the Nov. 6, 2011, protest in front of the White House -- aimed at convincing President Obama to say "No" to the Keystone XL Pipeline. (Keweenaw Now file photo © Allan Baker)

Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the international bestsellers, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs The Climate (2014), The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (2007) and No Logo (2000). Her books have been translated into over 30 languages. In 2004, Naomi Klein wrote The Take, a feature documentary about Argentina’s occupied factories co-produced with director Avi Lewis. Naomi Klein is a columnist for The Nation magazine and the Guardian and a contributing editor at Harper’s magazine. She is a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute and sits on the board of directors for 350.org, the global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis.

Whether or not you have read the book, come to the Orpheum Theater Wednesday evening to learn more.

The second community event will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Portage Lake District Library: A Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) Houghton Chapter Launch. Please join a group of concerned citizens for this workshop to create the political will to address climate change. Become a citizen climate advocate and help create a livable world.

* Click here to read about the film and see a trailer.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Portage Library to celebrate National Library Week April 11-16

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library (PLDL) invites everyone to visit the library and celebrate National Library Week from April 11 – April 16.

Programs that will be offered throughout the week are as follows:

Monday, April 11
Grant Seeking Resources for Non-Profits, Artists and Students, 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
As the only Funding Information Network for the Foundation Center in Houghton and Keweenaw counties, the Portage Lake District Library makes available the most comprehensive database of grantmakers and their grants in the United States. Library Director Dillon Geshel will present on using this resource.

Tuesday, April 12
Indieflix: Free Streaming Video from Your Library, 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
A premier online streaming video service that provides award-winning independent films as well as 7,000 high quality shorts, documentaries, and classic TV shows is now available for PLDL patrons. A presentation that shows how to use Indieflix will be followed by the screening of two short films. Popcorn will be served.

Wednesday, April 13
Children’s Storytime and Craft, 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Young children are invited to a library themed Storytime. Kids will enjoy listening to stories and will create their own book afterwards.

SCOLA: Television and Radio Broadcasts from Around the World, 3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
SCOLA is a non-profit educational organization that receives and re-transmits television programming from around the world in native languages and will be added to PLDL’s resources in May. Library Director Dillon Geshel will show participants how to access SCOLA and its many features.

Thursday, April 14
Children’s Storytime and Craft, 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Young children are invited to a library themed Storytime. Kids will enjoy listening to stories and will write their own book afterwards.

Open House for New Library Director Dillon Geshel, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to stop by the community room to meet and chat with the library’s new director, Dillon Geshel. Refreshments will be served.

Dillon Geshel, new Library Director for the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton. The public is invited to an Open House for Dillon from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Apr. 14. (File photo courtesy Jennifer Donovan)

Local Author Visit and Book Talk with Corey LaBissoniere, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Corey LaBissoniere is the author of two novels for young adults. His presentation will include a discussion and readings from his newest book, Return to Enchantas. There will be a book signing and selling afterwards.

Friday, April 15
Michigan eLibrary Resources for Small Businesses, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
The library recognizes business information resources as a necessity for new and developed businesses. Aspiring entrepreneurs need good information about their markets, customers, industry, and competitors. Library Director Dillon Geshel will show how Michigan eLibrary Business Resources can help businesses.

All Week
Fine Forgiveness
Donate nearly new books, DVDs or CDs and receive $1 in fine forgiveness per item donated during National Library Week.

Libraries Transform Communities Photo Challenge
Fill in a blank "speech bubble" sign telling why libraries matter to you or your community. Your photo will be taken with your sign, and one selected winner will receive a $50 Keweenaw Cash Certificate.

Library presentations are free and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.